Sorry for the short updates, it’s so late when we get home and the energy levels are not as high as in the beginning of the competition. Anyway, yesterday we got a task with real turnpoints (oohhh). Unfortunately it was the slowest day so far with lots of high clouds shading and shutting down the conditions. I took the fist start with Atilla, John Jr, and a gaggle of other good pilots. We had a good run until we hit shade just before the first turnpoint. I got a good thermal going back from the TP, where lots of other pilots struggled, and could glide in above the leading gaggle.

We went on a long glide towards the second turnpoint, it was super smooth air, and not much thermal activity. We all spread out in search of lift, as the whole area was shaded, and I glided cross towards some sunny patches. I decided it was not worth gliding into the shade, just to glide out the altitude I had. Instead I tried to use it to search for lift that might get me to goal. I was searching in a promising area for a long time, but it never took off. No pilots made goal, I would have scored much better if I had glided out my altitude, but that’s hanggliding…

Today it looked slow like the day before, but it turned out to be the best racing day of the comp. I got a good start, stuck with the main gaggle until halfway where I hit a bad line when heading out in front of the gaggle. I lost some time there, to get back up and lost contact with the lead gaggle. I joined up with Dave Sieb and one Spanish pilot, and we had a good run until goal.

This guy was at the airport to greet us when we got home, lots of insects here due to the rain earlier.

Forecast for the last two days are not very good, the tropical storm Erin is already making rain here in Big Spring.